Composite components can play an important role in the aerospace industry and manufacturing communities. With specific regard to the aerospace industry, composite components such as nacelles can provide significant strength and beneficial stiffness-to-density ratios, and hence improve the performance of an aircraft.
A typical composite component is fabricated from an uncured laminate with the assistance of fairing bars. In particular, the periphery of the laminate typically is surrounded by a series of fairing bars with a vacuum bag encapsulating the laminate and the bars. This assembly can receive a negative pressure for extracting excess resin from the laminate. The fairing bars typically are utilized for preventing the vacuum bag from breaking over voids or gaps along the edges of the laminate. Also, the fairing bars typically provide lateral support to the laminate and prevent the side portions of the laminate and its internal structures from being crushed in a chain reaction as negative pressure is applied.
Existing fairing bars are comprised of solid metal or solid laminate material. In this way, the fairing bars can be relatively heavy and may require a somewhat lengthy flow time.
It would, therefore, be highly desirable to provide a lightweight composite fairing bar having a short flow time and decreased costs in connection therewith.